Locomotive cylinder cock



NOV. 14, 1933. I R AYERS 1,935,285

LOCOMOTIVE CYLINDER COCK Filed March 15, 1929 Mia/@053 20 which includes an. improved valve and valve face 9 of the flange 8 is preferably aground sur- '50 valve seats sothat thefvalve member will not Patented Nov. 14, 1933 i T i i l UNITED TES A NT oFricE 7 1,935, 85 7 v LOCOMOTIVE CYLINDER COCK V Augustine R. Ayers, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Okadee Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofvlllinois v Application March 15, 1929. Serial No. 347,235

3 Claims. (o1. 12 1 1s4)' This invention'relates broadly to valves and description proceeds are attained in the strucmore particularly to improvements in steam entural embodiment illustrated in the accompanygine cylinder drain cocks. The device-of this ining drawing in which: 7 T vention including an improved means for oper- Figure 1 is an elevational view illustrating apating the valve from a remote point by the emplication ofmy invention to a locomotive; ployment of fluid under pressure. Figure 2 is an enlarged end elevational view 1 While this invention is illustrated and deof the cylinder cock; J

scribed as employed as a cylinder drain. cook, it Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical will beunderstood that the advantages thereof sectional view of the cylinder cock shown in are susceptible of incorporation in valves for Figure 2; v V I other purposes and that the invention, therefore, Figure e is a schematic elevational view showfinds a wide field of utility. I ing application of the device to a locomotive.

The principal objects and advantages of this Referring now more particularlyto the drawinvention reside in theprovision of an improved ing and first to. Figures 2 and3, I provide a casfluid pressure operated cylinder cock for 'locomoing 5 which is of a generally elongated and cylintive engines and the like; the provision'of an in1- drical' shape provided with a transverse partition proved cylinder or drain cock which includes an 6 adjacent to one end thereof, said partition havimproved valve and valve seat construction; the ing an axial opening 7 therein reinforced by a provision of an improved cylinder drain cock fiange'S bordering said opening. The outer end seat construction together with. an improved face for a purpose which will presently appear. 5

means for actuating the valve and for moving e partitions iv e the Casing 5"int0 W the same fromitsseat; theprovision in a eylinparts 10 and 11 which may be termed compart der drain cock of an improved arrangement of merits, the compartment portionlO serving as a the valve and valve seatstogether with an imv'alve housing, and the compartment portion'll proved piston and cylinder construction formed having a cylindrical inner surface 12 forming 'a 80 as aunittherewith for moving the valve rela- Cy in Which a D 13 y p t tively to its seat and inoludingmeans forfacilisaid piston having conventional packing 14.

, tatingrernovalf of the piston when necessary for The pistonis provided'with a hub portion 16 repairs and the like; the provision of an improved internally threaded as at 17 to receive the threadcylinder draincock including a casing which coned end of the piston rod 18, which latter is slid- 5 tains the valve seats, valve, retaining means for able in the axial opening '7'ancl is provided'with said valve seats, and the fluid pressure operated a reduced extension 19 which projects into the means for actuating the valve or as a unit struc compartment portion 10 and into the valve 5 ture capable of convenientapplication toan enchamber 15 for actuating the valve, as will 9 ginecylinder and which is of sturdy construction presently be described. The outer end surface and readily open for the purpose of inspection for 210 oi the hub 16 is preferably a ground surface pai rep a e epa or e g of so that the same when contacting with the s'ur P p Y face 9-will not only form a stop for the move- T1115 mvenilon furthermorej mcludesian f' ment of piston 13 but will also form a joint and proved arrangement of valve seats and valve for r ve 011, w r and other 'r h'm ffomcylinder drain cocks wherein when the 'engineis blowing into h cylinder which piston 3 drifting one of the valve seatsis closed'to prevent r tg and which foreign matter would inter the entrance of air and foreign substances into few with the 'op-emtion of saidvpiston. Similarly thecylindenanda structure wherein the valve the Outer surfaces 21 of pismn 13rmay' be a, -6

seats are constructed'so that a predetermined pressure or suction must be established before the valve will seat ineither position; The invention further contemplates aconstructio'n of the ground surface contacting with ahpl'urality. of inwardly extending lugs 22 carried by a closing cap23 threadedinto the open end of the com partmentportion 11, as indicatedaat 24; The close'under steam pressure from a leaking throt- Outer e 25 0f e p Zeissqugrgor heXagOna tle, but which will readily close whensteam is shape; as desired, to facilitateremoval. admitted to the cylinder for moving the engine. 2 A'helicali spring 26 surrounds the extensional The foregoing and such other objects and "ad and thefpistonrod 18uan'd. hub 16 and tends to 5 1 antagesas may-appear or'be pointed out .as this move the piston 13 toward the outerend'of the casing, that is, into the position shown in Figure 3.

In order to facilitate removal of the piston and piston rod, I provide an axial lug or projection 2'7 on the piston rod so that a tool such as a pair of pliers or the like may be applied theretofore pulling the piston out of the cylinder. 1 The space betweenthe piston and. the compartment 6 is open to atmosphere through an aperture 28.

The portion 10 of the casing is internally provided with an annular flange 29 affording an opening 30 through which the extension 19 may project and said. flange 29 also forming an abutment for one of the Valve seat members 31, a second valve seat member 32 being arranged in abutment with the member 31 and these valve seat members having axial openings33 and 34 respectively to permit passage of fluid when the valve is off its seat. The passageway or opening 33 communicates with the drain outlet 35 between the partition 6 and the annular flange 29, the outlet v35 extending to atmosphere as indicated at 36 in Figure 1.

The valve seat members 31 and 32 are substantially identical in construction and are in abutment as indicated at 37, said valve seat members being provided with valve seats 38 and 39 for a ball valve member 40. The surfaces of the seats 38 and 39 are relatively small so that sticking of the valve on these seats is rendered impossible, though at the same time a firm seating and fluid-tight closing will take place when the valve is on one or the other of the seats. To facilitate engagement of the valve with one or the other of the seats, and to control the pressure or suction at which the valve will seat, as the case may beand as will hereinafter appear, the internal surfaces of the valve seat members between their abutting ends and the valve seats 38 and 39 are conical shaped, as indicated at 41 and 42, thereby forming risers up which the ball valve will readily move into engagement with one or the other of the seats. It will be observed that these risers have a double taper, that is, two conical surfaces relatively angularly related as indicated at 41a, lla, and 42a, 42a, the surfaces 41a being at a greater angularity. than surfaces l2a so as to form a depression in which the ball valve 40 may lie when off the seats.

The casing portion 10 is provided with a lateral extension 44 which may be connected to a locomotive engine cylinder, and the passageway in the extension 44. communicates with an annular passageway 45provided in an enlargement 46 of the casing, said passageway 45 communicating with the opening 34 in the valve seat member 32.

The valve seat members are retained in position and in relative abutment by the provision of a closing plug 4'7, which latter is provided on its inner end with a plurality of radial fins l8 which abut the adjacent surface with a valve seat member 32, said plug being threaded into the adjacent open end of the casing 5 as indicated at 49. The plug 47 is locked in position by the provision of a locking cap 50 which is internally threaded for engagement, as at 51, with the projecting part of the plug 47.

In the usual practice the cylinder cock is applied to the under portion of the locomotive cylinder, and the arrangement may be similar to that shown schematically in Fig. 4, wherein the cylinder cocks are indicated as at 5, 5, and fluid under pressure is supplied thereto through conduits 52, 53 controlled from'the cab of the locomotive.

-to provide in effect a circumferential groove betweenthe valve seats, in the lower part of which the ball 40 is adapted to lie when the engine is at rest. Thus when being moved out of this groove not only the inertia of the ball must be overcome, but also the retention of the ball by the groove itself, which latter serves to prevent the ball from being moved by steam from a leaking throttle. Locomotive throttle valves occasionally leak steam which, if confined in the cylinder, might build up sufficient pressure to move the engine. In the provision of the present invention, the ball seated in the groove formed by the surfaces 41a affords sufficient retaining means for the ball in its open position to prevent the ball from seating on the exhaust opening dueto leaking steam. It is thus practically impossible for a locomotive equipped with the cylinder cock of this invention to accidentally move due to a slightly leaking throttle. It is, of course, essential that the automatic cylinder cock ball member 40 shall close almost instantly when steam is admitted for moving the engine. In other forms of cylinder cocks known to ,me, it was found that if the shape of the seat permitted the ball to seat readily enough to avoid a spitting action when the throttle was opened to start the engine it would also cause the ball to seat under a very slight throttle leakage, which, in some cases, would cause the engine to move. The double taper seat of this invention and, particularly the groove formed by the surfaces 41a provides, in effect, retaining shoulders which, while not materially interfering with the proper closing of the ball when steam is admitted to start the engine, will, however, prevent the ball from seating due to a leaking throttle. The intermediate tapering, that is, the surfaces 42a have the effect of allowing the ball to roll to its seat easily, after once beingdislodged from the groove formed by surfaces 41a and thus avoid damage to the valve seat itself through a pounding action which resulted in the earlier forms of cylinder cocks known to me, and particularly, wherein" the ball had a considerable abrupt lift. I thus provide a centralizing groove to hold theball away from either seat, thereby allowing a free 'flow of liquid through the valve when in open position. i The device also makes it possible to proportion the angle of the groove formed by the surfaces 41a to control, within desirable reasonable liinits, the pressure required to seat the valve. The provision of the surfaces 42a at a slighter' angle than the surfaces 41a eliminates the detrimental pounding action of the valveon its seat and yet serves to aid the valve toward its seat under steam pressure for moving the engine. The casing of the device maybe of universal application, and the valve seat members 31' and 32 may be substituted for those shown having different angularities to the surfaces 41a and 42a to suit the particular locomotive on which the device is tobeused.' 1

To change a particular set of cylinder drain cocks on an engine, this may bejdone without removing the entire casing, it being required only vent seating of the valve clue to flow of leaking to remove cap 50, plug 4'7, and substitute a different set of valve seats, and return the plug and cap into proper position. a

In the operation of this device, water of con-' densation collecting in the locomotive cylinder and with no steam pressure on will gravitate to the valve chamber formed between the two valve seat'members and pass through the openings 33 and 34 into the exhaust outlet 35. When the 10- comotive is running with no steam pressure on, a suction develops in the cylinders and this will act to cause the ball 40 to seat on the valve seat 38 and thus prevent the introduction of dust and.

other foreign matter into the cylinders.

When the locomotive is started after being at rest for some time, admission of steam to the cylinders builds up pressure blowing valve 40 against the seat 39, thus closing the valve. In the event that it is desired to move the valve from its seat 39 at any time when the locomotive is running with steam pressure on the cylinders, air is admitted from a source of supply through pipes 52 and 53 at the outer end of the cylindrical portion 11 through opening 11a to move the piston to the left, as viewed in Figure 3, bringing the extension 19 into engagement with tbe ball valve and thus forcing it oil the seat 39 and permitting a blowing of the cylinders. This may also be done in the event that the locomotive has been standing for some time and, due to cold weather, the ball may become frozen on the seat 39 or in the. centralizing groove. The extension 19 will then serve to knock the ball loose. If the air is exhausted from the cylinder portion 11, the helical spring 26 will, return the piston to the outer end of its stroke.

Having thus described myinvention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a cylinder cock for steam engines, a casing having communication with the cylinder and provided with an exhaust port, said casing having a compartment open at one end, a pair of valve seat members disposed in said compartment with their seat portions opposed to form a valve chamber, a valve in said chamber, said seat members having internal multiple conical surfaces formed of areas of different pitch, the adjacent portions of such surfaces serving to form a groove to presteam, and the remaining portions of said surfaces serving to facilitate seating of the valve upon flow of steam under normal pressure conditions.

2. In a device of the character described in combination with a steam engine having a throttle for admitting steam to the cylinder thereof, a cylinder cock for said cylinder including a casing having communication with the cylinder and provided with an exhaust port, and a pair of opposed valve seat members arranged between said exhaust port and said cylinder and provided with valve seats, said seat members having each conical risers, each of the surfaces of said risers being internally tapered annularly in two planes, said seat members being in abutment with the surfaces of said risers oppositely disposed to each other to form a circumferential retaining groove therebetween, a ball valve member between said seats adapted to engage said groove at points spaced apart in the direction of said seats and said valve being movable from said groove in response to the fluid under predetermined pressure to roll upon either of said risers with a single point of contact thereon, said valve member being held against movement and by the flow of liquid or of fluid pressure from a cylinder due to a slightly leaking throttle by the angularity of said conical surfaces forming said groove.

3. In a cylinder drain valve a casing having an intermediate portion dividing the same into two compartments, a connection for fluid to one of said compartments, a valve member therein, a pair of opposed valve seat members having seats for said valve and forming a chamber for the valve, said valve seat members having each a plurality of internal angularly related frusto a conical surfaces, said valve seat members being in abutment so that the steeper of'said frustoconical surfaces are adjacent to each other to form a retaining groove, said valve member being disposed between said valve seat members and arranged, when unseated, to have contact at only I two points on the steeper of said conical portions spaced in the direction of said seats, and the other of said conical portions serving to facilitate. seating of the valve on either of said seats.

AUGUSTINE R. AYERS. 

